Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1887-09-29
Letter from Colorado.

fact is that ideas, so new aud radio.
ally different from anything / had
before conceived, have rushed upon
me so fast that | did not know how
TO express thcm-nor do | vet.
| left Ceredo, YOU will remember,
the last day of Aug. | went TO
Portsmouth, ria rail, and from there
by boat 10 Cincinnati, { saved moth.
ing in price by going that way. but
for family reasons thought il best)
from there TO Kansas City, ria .. 4
Nj. to ST. Louis and Mo. Pacific TO
h. G., at cost of s20.75.
i think Kansas City is the most
terrible tumble of any city | was
ever in. The people seem TO be
land crazed, and they act more like
mad persons than anything else.
Property seems 10 have no fixed
standing; what is worth 800 to- day
rs worth $500 tomorrow and $1,000
the week after Every one is i'm
too much of a rush to be courteous
to another--no take that back
but il would appear so to one less
favored than was. | never i'm my
life was more kindly treated and
made much of than | was the Sat
urday and Sunday ! spent there.
In the first place let me speak my
Acknowledgements Of the kindness
of my old and highly valued friend.
Judge III. G. MeDougal. (Your
cousin, Mr.. Editor) / shall never
forget his kindness and prince.
" entertainment and his introduc.
ton to men that the country delight
to honor. Such as Ex-Governor
Crittenden, Senator Stiles, Col.
Dayton, whom many Of your readers
will remember was i'm Ceredo with
TIC ith w. Va. INIT; Capt. Adams,
formerly of Gallipolis. | regretted
very much that Col. Tomllinson
was East and | did not see him.
went 10 church twice on Sunday j.,
at different places, but, either on &C
count of the strangencss, or for some
other reason, it seemed 60 me that
the service was like all clse-was
carried through with rush and
nothing useful in IT,
Monday | started again on my
road, over the Santa Fee Il. r., pay
ing 1929 for a stop-oyer ticket TO
Granada, Col
stopped at Garden City and had
my first experience with land spec
ulators. Had letters of introduction
to persons there and never having
seen a real western town, | spent
near day looking over the field and
| acknowledge ! was homesick
enough TO have verified the predic
tons of many, and turned round Tor
home; everything has the appear
ance of having been built in a day q,
and even the store buildings looked
as if they were not quite done. My
reason for stopping there was, that il
is the land Office for south. western
Kansas. There is no land to be had
in Kansas, unless you go into the
extreme southern counties, (Stc-
vens and Morton) and that is too
far from rail, telegraph, water and
coal GOO #. 20 water).
Next l stopped at Lakin TO see
mine and Cercdo's old friend, Frank
French. Frank learned his trade In
the Ceredo Crescent office. lie has
a claim and newspaper at Lakin.
Next ! landed at Coolidge, the
last town in Kansas on the Santa
Fee road. My object was TO see Win
Merrill, another ex-Ccredo editor.
who is publishing paper at that
place. lie was glad to see me and
hear Of Ceredo folks.
The next morning landed me AT
Granada, Col, which was Thursday.
week and a day from home.
have found several friends here and
am discovering new ones nearly ev
cry day. Truly it IS a truth, the old
saying-''this is a very little world
after all.
1t is hard for an Eastern man to
make up his mind what TO say about
this country; it is just the opposite
TO everything we had been used TO
. The Arkansas river is not q river,
nor is it a creek, no banks, no depth,
nothing but water lying fiat on the
plain. A few stunted cottonwood
trees, that do not look unlike will
lows that have grown under diff
T Guilty.
As came through Indiana, Iii
nois, Missouri and Kansas the crops
were all burned up, and / was
heartily glad 10 find thatit was not
so in Colorado. The claims are all
new and most Of the land has been
broken this year for the first time
The pasture is excellent.
i was taken by a land locator ont
into the county about 3 miles S. w.
Of the town and ] took the nearest
land there was TO town. 1t an
looked alike TO me, but i can tell
that ] have been very fortunate in
my location; paid locator $40 for
showing me the land and making
out the papers. Next day went 10
Lamar-to the land Office and filed
claim as Soldiers Homestead and
paid ZIG. Gas a soldier I will have to
remain on it 10 months 10 make my
, time years..
j have thus written in order TO
fulfill a promise ! made 90 several Of
your readers TO give an exact idea 10
them, in case they should think 10
best TO come West themselves. /